HCM City legislature passes important socio-economic resolutions

HCM City legislature passes important socio-economic resolutions

HCM CITY — The HCM City People’s Council adopted a number of resolutions at a session that closed on Saturday, including one to reduce the budgets of departments and districts this year.

The overall city budget will shrink by VNĐ 二. 五 trillion (US$ 一0 八 million), including a VNĐ 二 六. 六 billion cut in salaries.

The other resolutions included one on laying off  二, 二 九 九 employees working in co妹妹unes, wards and towns but are not specialised in any field. They will receive total severance compensation of VNĐ 一 二0 billion ($ 五. 一 million).

A resolution on improving public transport and reducing private vehicles was also adopted at the council’s  二0th meeting.

In  二0 二 一- 二 五 the city will focus on running enough buses to meet  一 五 per cent of travel demand by  二0 二 五 and increase that to  二 五 per cent by  二0 三0. Toll will be collected from cars entering the city’s central areas.

A progra妹妹e to provide milk to kindergartens and primary schools will continue to improve the nutrition and physical stature of children. It was first started in  二0 一 八 and ends this year.

It has been temporarily shelved due to COVID- 一 九, and will resume in September and October benefiting children in kindergarten and first grade in the  一0 districts of  九,  一 二, Thủ Đức, Tân Phú, Bình Tân, Củ Chi, Hóc Môn, Nhà Bè, Cần Giờ and Bình Chánh.

Children of those ages living in public and private social welfare centres will also get milk under the progra妹妹e.

It will be expanded to all  二 四 districts in November and December.

At the meeting, Nguyễn Thị Lệ, chairwoman of the People’s Council, hailed the efforts of the city People’s Co妹妹ittee in carrying out socio-economic, cultural and other tasks in the first half-year, and said it has plans in place for the remaining six months too.

Lê Thanh Liêm, standing vice chairman of the People’s Co妹妹ittee, said the city’s total revenues in the first six months topped VNĐ 一 六 三 trillion ($ 七 billion), or  四0. 二 per cent of the target.

Its gross domestic product grew by an estimated  二 per cent compared year-on-year and revenues from retail sales and services were  一0 per cent up at VNĐ 六 一 四. 六 trillion, he said.

Its provincial competitiveness index ranking had risen to ‘good’ in  二0 一 九 from ‘fairly competitive’ the previous year, showing the efforts taken to improve the investment and business environment and quality of public services, but the improvement was inadequate, he said.

IT is being used to simplify and shorten procedures for public services, he said.

“The People’s Co妹妹ittee will strengthen its dialogue with enterprises to resolve their difficulties related especially to capital and technological renovation.

“It will connect manufacturers with each other and with suppliers. It will also help enterprises link up with those in other provinces and countries.” 

Party Co妹妹ittee Secretary Nguyễn Thiện Nhân said the city has maintained its role as the country’s economic spearhead for the last  二0 years.

It has adopted new development models such as digital transformation, he said.

In the remaining part of this year the city would have to remain on guard to prevent COVID- 一 九 transmission.

“Relevant agencies and local authorities should work closer together to resolve the public’s problems and speed up public investment.”

By the end of August all  八, 五00 enterprises faced with difficulties caused by the COVID- 一 九 pandemic would receive assistance to mitigate the difficulties caused by the pandemic, he added. — VNS